Min announces 100 new Sufal Bangla centres across state soon

Raiganj: In a significant boost to agricultural marketing infrastructure, the Bengal government is set to establish 100 additional Sufal Bangla centres across the state, according to Becharam Manna, Minister of State for Agriculture and Marketing. This announcement was made during the inauguration of a permanent Sufal Bangla centre at the Raiganj Super Market in North Dinajpur district on Thursday.

The Sufal Bangla scheme, designed to provide dual benefits to both farmers and consumers, currently operates 517 centers across Bengal. Out of these, 80 are permanent establishments, while the rest are mobile units. The new centres will be rolled out in response to increasing demand, aiming to make fresh produce more accessible to consumers while ensuring fair prices for farmers.

The newly-inaugurated centre in Raiganj is a significant development for the local community, which had long been advocating for a permanent Sufal Bangla setup. Until now, the area was served only by a mobile van that offered a limited selection of agricultural products. The new centre, located in the Raiganj Municipality’s Super Market building, will provide a wide range of vegetables, groceries and food products, all at prices lower than those in regular markets.

Speaking at the inauguration, Manna highlighted the success of the Sufal Bangla initiative. “Since the introduction of Sufal Bangla marketing centres, farmers have benefited by being able to sell their produce at minimum prices, free from the exploitation of middlemen. This initiative has not only secured better earnings for farmers but has also encouraged them to increase crop production,” he said.